Duke, trail camera evidence and real sightings can prove that the majority of 3.5 year old deer are over 125"....why is that so hard to grasp? Most hunters around here shoot the first buck/deer they see, and surviving bucks prosper...
Because Siman.. you must realize what you are saying. You said in your original post that the AVERAGE.. which is pretty much the majority of bucks that are 3.5 yrs near you go 130". How do I know this is inaccurate.. simply because then your county would have hundreds more registered P&Y numbers. The difference between 125 which your saying now.. and 130 is HUGE.. just like it is when someone says 135" is the average. It would imply that most the 3.5 yr old population is likely NET P&Y. That's simply just not the way it is... The key word is average. Your better 3.5 yr olds can easily be 135" or 130" or 185".. but not likely your average. I'm not trying to be a ****.. I'm just explaining the math of it all.
The average 3.5 in my area will gross right around 125-130.... Low end for 3.5's is around 110... High end around 150. The 110 and the 150 would be EXTREME cases though on each end of the spectrum.
Siman.. if your "average" 3.5 year old is netting P&Y... I think I speak for everyone when I say where do I sign up? It's not impossible.. but HIGHLY UN-likely.
It's a good question and tough to come up with an "average." Its like Mike said I think a lot of people don't realyl understand the math behind finding an average for score for a certain age class of bucks. Anywho, here goes my guesstimates.. 3 years olds around here have been as low as 95" and as high as 130". Far fewer 95 inchers than the steller 130" buck, so that AVERAGES out to be 112.5" We've had 4 year olds that are as low as 120" and some bucks that would probably gross over 180. Does that mean an average 4 year old for the mountains of Virginia is 150 inches? No, but I'll say an average 4.5 year old scores 130."
I understand why you think its unlikely, but im talking about roughly 3,000 acres of prime Ohio whitetail woods with half of it being un-huntable.
Normal for western OK would probably be mainframe 8s with a couple kickers they will generally gross around 120 but 140 is not truly uncommon as we have taken three in the 130-145 class in the last two years. I have killed two mainframe 10s in the last four years and one 16 that grossed 167 but that was a lifetime buck for that area.
I dont think I could do an average on their antler size. I have a 6+ yr old buck that will barely make 150 if he even does. I have a 4 yr old that will possibly be around 175". I just dont think you could really have an average score. I can tell you this though. Almost every buck at least 3 1/2 yrs of age will field dress 200 lbs.
Duke and Dr.Andy, I meant what I said. The average 3 1/2 in my area, Lake Co. Ill, is about 135. The last I saw, Lake Co. was the #2 county in Ill for P&Y bucks, behind Pike Co. There are more 3 1/2s that score 135 rather than 120 or 145. As a matter of fact, the most common score for 3 1/2s over the last couple of years has been closer to 138 in my area. Granted, this may not mirror the results of other areas in this county or others, but this is how my area was for the last 6 years. Believe it or not, I was there.
It's no longer number 2.. because theirs nothing left to hunt anymore. Hasn't broken the top 10 on a year to year basis in like 8 years. And if I'm not mistaken.. you no longer hunt that piece you had as Tempel Farms have purchased it... so it's not really your area any more.. correct? I thought the Q was "your area". I have shed hunted that area for a few years now.. have several antlers and lots of buck encounters there.. it's nothing more than a 6000 acre forest preserve north of Chicago and yes it has awesome genetics... but I think you're possibly guessing the ages wrong too.. since that area has loads of old-timers running around. If I'm not mistaken the one you took last year was guessed at 8 years... which goes to show you of the enormous fluctuation between age classes here. That's not a bash on you either.. very few of us have that wide range in age class so guessing would become more complicated when there's large numbers of 5 and 6 year olds running around. 120-125" is more of the average if you ask me (my opinion of that area Greg).. since I shed hunt just outside it. And since I'm a shed hunter.. I couldn't even tell one if those were 3.5 or 4.5 or 5.5 year olds... can only make an educated guess on age based on shed. But most of my sheds are about 50".. and the mass would indicate 3 year old. You're right though.. and I'm sorry you lost that piece.. phenomenal bucks abound there. Maybe you're right.. maybe I am.. and we'll just leave it at that.
I've been at the deer game longer than you have Duke. I don't guess the ages wrong any more than you do. The area is similar to a forest preserve, except managed. The difference between you and I when it comes to that area is that I have hunted it and you have not. I have 6 years experience in the middle of Temple farms, not many people have had that opportunity. Hell, I see 2 or more 2 1/2s during the season that gross between 121 and 127. If you have shed hunted Temple land you have trespassed as they don't allow anyone to set foot on it. That is why that land is constantly patrolled by their private security. Although there are not enough hunters registering enough book bucks to maintain the counties #2 position in the state, the deer are still there. There are some 200" bucks in the area as the land manager and his buddy have taken a couple of them. They don't enter them in the book and not a lot of people even get to see these deer. That's how private he wants to keep his land. You are right, my spot was sold. However, that is where my last 6 years were spent and how I answered the question of the OP. It was a damn great spot. I still have 2 other good spots in Ill and chose not to hunt them this year. I'll be concentrating on my Wi spots this year. When I figure out what the 3 1/2s average there, I'll repost my answer. You'll probably disagree with that too. It almost seems that you know the deer in my spots better than I do!!??
Just an educated guess but 3 1/2 year old average mid 120s and 4/12 years old(good luck) probably average in the 140s. I had a close encounter with a 170ish deer last fall that i am pretty certain was 4 1/2 years old. I guess he was just on the good end of the spectrum.
Last year a 3.5 yr old 8 pointer was killed on our farm that scored 113 and change. Just a poor genetic buck for this area. However, we also found the sheds of a 3.5 yr old 10 pointer that scored in the 150's with an 18 inch spread. So that's a pretty wide range of 50 or so inches of 3.5 year old bucks. The small side of a 4.5 yr. old on our farm is usually sitting at 135ish. I would say it all depends on the genetics that particular buck is carrying around with him.
Wow.. I just got accused of trespassing Tempel by Greg with an H. If that ain't the pot calling the kettle black. Re-read the posting again.. only this time take your head out of your ass and watch as you'll be amazed by when I said I've been shed hunting "outside" Tempel farms. Good god man.. I even closed with a maybe your right and maybe I am. Were you an abused child?
One more thing before I go.. you should try speaking with any number of local P&Y scorers from around Lake County.. they will tell you the deer are not there anymore NEARLY like they once were. NOT even close.. except that forest preserve called Tempel that you hunted... all 9 acres of it.
